Bottle filling and gassing machine



,Dec. 13, 19 38. .1. KANTOR 0, 7

BOTTLE FILLING AND GASSING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1935,

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR James Kantoz;

ATTORNEYS Dec. 13, 1938. v J. KANTOR 2,140,187

BOTTLE FILLING AND'GASSING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2lNVENTOR James Kan tor,

ATFORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3 0 0 J 4 1 0 6 6 f 6 2 J 1 1f 1 1 a 1 1 1 aa MES: 1H M 1 4 J r m za/v/l/ i M INVENTOR James Kantoz',

BY W 1 197 ATTORNEYS I Dec. 13, 1938. J. KANTOR BOTTLE FILLI NG ANDGASSING MACHINE Filed May 10, 1935 Patented Dec. 13, 1938.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims. (oi. 226-68) My invention relatesto improvements in hot tlefilling machines particularly adapted forfilling bottles with beer, and to a method offilling bottles with beer.

It ha been found that air has a decidedly deteriorating efiect on beerand it has been found that where beer has been bottled and the contentof air in the bottles is comparatively large, that after storage for ashort period the bottled beer not only deteriorates as to color but asto the taste.

As a matter of fact, in the bottling of beer, if the air content ofthebottle, after it has-been crowned, is greater than two per cent,thedeteriorating effect is decidedly noticeable.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a machine and methodfor filling bottles with beer and to fill the same in such a manner thatthe air content of the bottle after crowning is reduced to the In theapparatus andin the method in which I am able to fill the bottles, I amenabled to deliver filled and crowned bottles with approximatcly notmore than four-tenths of one per cent of air. For the purpose ofdescribing my invention, i have illustrated certain embodiments thereofin the accompanying drawings, in which:

l is an elevation of a' machine embodying my invention, part of the samebeing shown in of a machine embodying my invention, showing the path oftravel of the bottles during the filling operation;

Figs. 3 and l are, together, a longitudinal sectional view of theinitial gassing valve;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional viewoi the filler valve;

Figs. 6 and 7, taken together, constitute alongitudinal sectional viewof the final gassing valve; and,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the bottle sealer.

For the purpose of more fully understanding the apparatus, it may besaid that in carrying outmy invention initially the bottles to be ihledwith beer are filled with CO2, delivered at a very low pressure, to thebottom of the bottle, and in a chilled condition. The bottles as theyare received from the washing machine, having been rinsed in cold water,are in a chilled condition, and in order to maintain the density of theCO2 the CO2 is, as above stated, chilled to approximately thetemperature of the bottles or to a temperature of approximately 40 F.The admission of the CO2 being heavier than the air, drives out the airand fills the bottle to the top with the C02. The bottle'is thentransferred to the beer filling machine. In order to prevent any escapeof the 002 during the transfer operation and to prevent the admission ofair to the bottle, the bottle is sealed during this transfer period. Thefilling operation, naturally, drives out the CO2 in the bottle andsupplants the same with beer. To allow for expansion of the liquid inthe bottle, and for other reasons, the bottle is not filled clear to thetop with beer but there is a small space in the neck of thebottle whichis allowed to remain unfilled. In order to insure that no air shallpenetrate to this space during the capping operation, before the bottleis delivered to the capper, the bottle goes through a final gassingoperation which admits CO2 to the top of the bottle above the liquidcontents, so that when the bottle is delivered to the crowner the bottleis completely filled with liquid and C02, preventing all possible chanceor" the entry of air to the bottle. Furthermore, as the bottle is fedthrough the crowning machine, the crown is applied by a relativelyslowly operating crowning, so that there is little chance of air beingforced into the neck of the bottle by the rapid descent of the crown onthe top of the bottle.

In the machine embodying my invention, illus trated in the drawings, Iprovide a base i, on which is mounted the various instrumentalities forcarrying out by invention. On this base is mounted an initial gasser 2,asealer 3, a filling appaiatus 4, a final gasser 5, and a crowner B.These various instrumentalities' all continuously rotate in synchronismand means are provided for passing the bottle from one instrumentalityto the other continuously. In each of the devices the various fillingapparatus rot-ate with the bottle, so that the bottle continuouslyprogressively moves through the machine.

Referring first to the initial gasses, a central standard 1 extendsvertically from the base i, and on this central standard is rotativelymount ed a spider B, in which are reciprocably mounted bottle saddles 9.Each of these saddles is mounted upon the upper end of a reciprocatingpost 59, the lower end of which is provided with a roller H adapted tomove over a stationarily mounted cam l2,-whereby, as the spider 8rotates, the saddles will be vertically moved up and down.

The spider 8 is provided with a vertically-extending hollow sleeve l3,rotating with the spider andsurrounding the post I. The upper end ofthis sleeve is provided with a second spider M,

' the valve will reciprocate.

A supporting spider I9 is secured to the rotating spider l4 to supportabove the cam member I! a C02 reservoir 20, which therefore rotates withthe gassing valves, and this reservoir is connected to each of thegassing valves by a flexible conduit 2|. The reservoir 20 is suppliedwith CO: from a suitable source through the supply pipe 22 which passesthrough a reducing valve 23 connected by a suitable swivel 24 with thereservoir. This reservoir 20 is surrounded by suitable refrigeratingcoils 25 enclosed in a casing 26 and receiving a suitable refrigeratingmedium from any source of supply, so that the temperature of the CO2contained therein is maintained comparatively low and to coincidesubstantially with the temperature of the bottles as they. are receivedby the gasser from the washing machine.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, wherein I have illustrated a detail of oneof the gassing valves IS, the gassing valve comprises a verticallyreciprocating casing 21, reciprocably mounted in the tubular socket l5of the spider l4 and keyed against rotative movement by a key 28. Thiscasing is provided with a hollow bore 29, expanded at its lower endtoprovide a valve chamber 30. The upper end of the casing is providedwith a neck 3|, of reduced diameter, on which is screw-threaded aclamping screw 32' for clamping the valve end 33 of the supply tube 2|to the upper end of the casing and in communication with the bore 29.The roller I8 is preferably mounted on a collar 34 surrounding thereduced neck 3|.

Extending downwardly from the casing 21 is a filler tube 35,screw-threaded into a plug 36, in turn threaded into the lower end ofthe valve chamber 30; this plug being provided on its upper face with avalve seat 31. The lower end of the tube 35 has reciprocably mountedthereon a bottle bell or throat 38 containing a bottle engaging washer39, and above this bottle engaging washer there is provided air ventopenings 40. This bottle bell is retained against dropping off the lowerend of the tube 35 by a. retaining nut 4| screw-threaded on the lowerend of the tube 35 and engaging a shoulder 42 on the interior of thebell.

The passage of gas through ,the tube 35 is controlled by a sealing valve43 at the upper end of the tube, which seats on seat 31 when closed.This valve is mounted on the upper end of a tubular stem 44 whichextends to the bottom of the tube and at the lower end is provided witha manipulating tip 45 secured on the lower end of the stem and providedwith gas passages 46, the arrangement being such that when the tube isinserted into a bottle this tip 45 will engage the bottom of the bottle,raising the valve 43 and permitting the passage of CO2 into the bottomof the bottle.

It will be noted that this stem 44 is hollow throughout and the valve.43 is provided with a conduit or passageway 41, so that the interior ofthe tubular stem communicates with the gas chamber 30 in the valve. Thelower end of this stem is provided with an angularly disposed ventopening 48, so that, even though the valve 43 is in a closed position,there is provided a slight leakage of gas through the stem 44.

In the operation of the gassing valve as the bottle is received from thedelivery mechanism toward the bottle, eventually engaging the bottlehell with the neck of the bottle, thus sealing the bottle, andprojecting the tube 35 into the bottle until the tip 45 of the stem 44engages the bottom of the bottle and a continued approach of the bottleto the valve Hi will cause this stem to raise the valve 43, admittingCO2 to the bottom of the bottle. This CO2 is admitted to the bottle atan extremely low pressure, say two or three pounds, and as it flows intothe bottle fills the bottle, forcing the air out of the bottle, until bythe time the bottle has moved to its delivery position it will have beencompletely filled with CO2 and the air exhausted therefrom. As thebottle and the valve I6 separate from one another, due to the ridingdown of the roller I l on the cam l2 and the riding up of the roller I8on the cam H, the valve 43 is lowered on its seat 31, thereby shuttingoff further delivery of CO2 to the bottle. It must be borne in mind,however, that this movement is comparatively rapid, and the rapidwithdrawal of the tube 35 from the bottle tends to create a slightvacuum or suction in the bottle, which would tend to draw back into thebottle through the vent openings a slight proportion of air. In order tobreak up this slight vacuum, even though the valve 43 is closed, thereis a continued discharge of gas into the bottle-to be sure, a very smalldischarge-through the hollow stem 44 and through the diagonally-disposedvent opening 48 in the tip 45. I

By moving the gassing valve toward the bottle, during the time thebottle is moved toward the gassing valve, I am enabled to materiallyreduce the height of the cam lift of the bottle saddles 9. It must beunderstood that it is desirable to give the greatest possible timeduring the rotation of the bottle for the delivery of the CO2 thereto,and with an extremely high cam lift for the bottle a greater proportionof the circle of the cam is given to the cam proper and comparativelysmall portion is given to the straight run. By moving the valve towardthe bottle and the bottle toward the valve, the cam lift is materiallyreduced, whereby a longer straight portion of the cam may be providedwith a corresponding greater period during the rotation of the bottle inwhich the gas can be admitted to the bottle with no relative movementbetween the bottle and the valve.

After the bottle has been filled with CO2 it is delivered to theintermediate sealer 3. This sealer is provided with a base portion 49carrying a vertical post 50 rotatively stationary, and surrounding thispost and rotating on the same is a bottle carrier 5| which extendsthrough the table top 52 and is provided with a pair of bottle transferstars 53 adapted during their rotation to engage the bottle while on itssaddle 9, and while the saddle is in its lower position, and rotate thebottle to a position to be delivered to the filler 4. Mounted on thebottle carrier and above the bottle sealers 56.

stars 53 is a plurality of vertically disposed bear.- ings 54 adapted toreceive the stems 55 of the ciprocable to be moved down into sealingengagement withrthe top of the bottle as it is received on the carrier52, and the stems of the sealers are provided with rollers 51 operatingin a cam 58 stationarily mounted on the post 58 and provided with a camtrack so disposed as to lower the sealer 56 on a bottle as it isreceived from the bottle saddle 9 and maintain the bottle sealed untilit is delivered from the sealer to the filler, at which time the camwill raise the sealer from engagement with the bottle to permit thisdelivery to the filler. The sealers are adapted to swing in and outduring their vertical movement so that they will clear the bottles ofthe initial gassing machine. To this end, each sealer is mounted on across arm mounted to swing on a vertical axis on the top of itssupporting stem 55. One end of the cross arm carries the sealer 56 andthe opposite end is bent slightly downwardly and carries at its end aroller 68 which engages a cam surface 6|, being biased in an engagingdirection by suitable spring means (not shown). As the stem 59 islowered, the roller 55 moving to the smaller portion of the cam surface,will permit the sealer to swing, on a vertical axis, out from the centerof the circle and in a position to engage on the top of the neck of thebottle. These sealers preferably comprise cuplike members provided withsealing washers 62.

The sealer, in effect, comprises a transfer mechanism for removing thebottle from initial gasser and delivering the same to the filler,acting, at the same time, to seal the bottle during this transfer. Asthe bottle rotates with the sealer it eventually comes into a positionto be delivered by the stars 53 thereof to one of the saddles 63 of thefilling machine. This filling machine, to a large extent, is more orless standard, and it is not believed necessary to enter into a fulldetailed description thereof, except so much of the same as is necessaryfor the understanding of the present invention. The filler is providedwith a rotating support 64 provided with a plurality of reciprocatingbottle saddles 63, which saddles are mounted on reciprocating supports85, vertically moved through the instrumentality of the cam-operatedarms 66. This support carries the usual water check tank and highpressure cylinder 61 into which is admitted through the pipe 68 waterand through the gas swivel valve 69, CO2 under pressure. It must beborne in mind that the water which is admitted is not admittedcontinuously, but the pipe 68 is merely a supply pipe and when theproper supply level of water is obtained in the tank the supply is cutoff.

This support 54 also carries an annular filler tank 18 to which the beeris admitted through the supply pipes H connected with a pressure con-,trol valve 12 in turn connected with the supply.

Tothe filler tank are attached a plurality of filling valves 15, each ofwhich connectsto' the high pressure tank cylinder 13 in the water checktank 61 through the medium of a communicating pipe 14.

Each filler valve comprises a filler tube 88 communicating with theinterior of its tank 18 and supported in a casting l6 forming'aportionof the bottom of its filler tank 78.- This casting is providedwith'a neck 8! into which the tube 88 is screwed and also is providedwith a neck 82 to which is attached by a coupling nut 83 a counter-These bottle sealers are repressure valve casing 84. A pair of pressuretubes 11, extending upwardly from the casting, have communication withthe chamber 79 in which is arranged the counter pressure valve 81adapted to seat on the seat 86. The upper ends of these two tubescommunicate with a chamber having arranged therein a diaphragm 93.Arranged at the lower end of the neck 82 is a sealing washer 85. Thevalve 81 surrounds the filler tube 88 and is provided with a tubularneck 88 surrounding the tube and projecting below the sealing washer 85.The valve is biased in its closed position by'a coiled spring 89 and theneck 88 is provided with bleeding openings 98, for a purpose more fullyhereinafter to appear.

The bottom of the filler tube 88 is closed by a pear valve'9l,downwardly opening, and secured to the end of a stem 92 the upper end ofwhich is connected to the diaphragm 93. The normal position of thediaphragm'is such as to maintain the valve 9i in its closed position.Also mounted on the filler tube 88 is a bottle bell or throat 94provided with a sealing washer 95 and surrounding the tube. The top ofthis bell, when the tube is inserted in a bottle the proper distance, isadapted to engage the bottom end of the neck 88 to thereby raise or openthe counter pressure valve 81. The counter-pressure chamber orcompartment 19 is connectedv through a ported stem 96. and a conduit 91with the top of the gas and water tank 61, in which C0: is maintainedunder pressure, varying from eight to twenty-two pounds, depending uponthe nature of the beer to be bottled, which, however, is slightly lowerthan the head of the beer in each of the filler tanks l8.v

In addition to the above supply of CO2 the-bottle bell 94 above thesealing Washer 95 is provided with a gas chamber 98 connected by aflexible tube 99 with a ring l88. This ring in turn is connected by aconduit l8! through a gas swivel valve I82 with a C02 inlet pipe I 83,connected with a C02 supply, and delivering CO2 at a decidedly reducedpressure as compared with the pressure delivered through the tube 91. Incommercial use I have found that the pressure delivered through thistube should be only about three pounds. The end of the tube 99 isprovided with what is commercially known as a Thomas v check valve 684,which in eifect constitutes a soft rubber nozzle having an openingthrough which the gas under the pressure of three pounds may pass; butwith a back pressure introduced in a chamber I85 surrounding this Thomasvalve exceeding the three-pounds opening pressure, the

' valve would be closed to prevent back flow.

In operation, when the bottle is first lifted, it engages the bottlebell 94, the neck of the bottle being sealed by a sealing ring or washer95. Thebell raises with the bottle until the top of the bell engages theneck 88 of the counterpressure valve, raising the counter-pressure valveoff its seat. This admits counter-pressure into the tubes ll-ll, which,flowing through the neck 98, and through the bell 94, flows into thebottle to establish counter-pressure therein. When the counter-pressurein the bottle has been built up it continues to build up above thediaphragm 93 to open the valve 9 I, permitting the flow of beer into'the bottle against the counter-pressure of the gas. The counter-pressureof the gas is slightly below the head of the beer in the filler tank, sothat this beer will flow therein. By the time the bottle has been filledto the point desired, the

bottle will commence to move downwardly first closing thecounter-pressure valve 81. This shuts off the counter-pressure supplyand the bleeding of the CO2 from the compartment I9 through the bleedingopenings will so reduce the pressure in the compartment and against thediaphragm 93 that the valve 9| will close, shuttingofi the flow of 'beerthrough the filler tube. As long as the counter-pressure valve is openand the counter-pressure gas is admitted through the bottle bell andinto the chamber 98, this pressure will be greater than the pressure inthe pipe 99, and thereby maintain the Thomas valve I04 closed to preventthe back flow of the counter-pressure through this valve and into thepipe 99. When the bottle bell is lowered and breaks contact with thebottom of' the neck 88 this back pressure no longer exists and the twoor three pounds pressure of gas in the pipe 99 is sufficient to open theThomas valve I04 and flood the bell with gas. If this bell top were notso flooded with gas there would be an appreciable quantity of air suckedinto the bell top, due to the suction created by the removal of the tubefrom the bottle, and this air would pass down into the bottle proper.However, by flooding the bell top with CO2, any air which might havebeen trapped in there is driven out, and the entry of any air isprevented, thus insuring the freedom of the neck of the bottle from air.

The bottle thus filled in the filling machine thentransfers tothefinalgassing apparatus. This gassing structure is substantially the same asthe initial gassing structure, with the exception that the bottles arecarried on the table 52 instead of on reciprocating saddles 9. Thistable surrounds a sleeve I01 surrounding and rotatively mounted on avertical post I08. The vertical post carries sleeve I01, and carries thespider having formed at the outer portionthereof a plurality of tubularsockets I09 for the reception of the final gassing valves H0. The postI08 carries the cam III which cooperates with the rollers H2 on thevalves for raising and lowering the valves. In view of the fact that thedelivery tube of the sealing valve does not have to enter the bottlevery far, the relative reciprocatory movement between the valve and thebottle does not have to be as great, and therefore the vertical movementof the bottle itself is dispensed with. The sleeve has mounted or formedthereon a pair of bottle carrying stars H3 which receive the bottle fromits saddle 63 of the filling machine, and moves them on the table tobeneath the final gassing valves. As shown, each of these gassing valvesis connected by a tube I I4 with a gas reservoir H5, supplied like thereservoir 20 with C02.

The reciprocating gassing valve casing H5 is substantially the same inconstruction as the gassing valve casing 21, being provided with achamber H9 closed by a plug I I! having on its upper face a valve seatH8. The gassing valve tube H9 extends through the plug II I, beingprovided at its upper end with inlet ports I20 with a valve I2I adaptedto seat on the valve seat H8; and it will be noted that when the valveI2I is seated, no communication exists between the chamber H6 and thefiller tube. The lower end of the tube H9 is provided with a tip IE2provided with horizontally disposed delivery openings I23 connectingwith the tube, so that CO2 delivered at the lower end of the tube willbe delivered horizontally against the side of the bottle, and therebynot tend to agitate the liquid in the bottle. Surrounding the gassingtube H9 is a bottle bell I24 provided with the usual sealing washer I25and provided above the sealing washer with vent openings I26. This bellhas an upwardly extending neck I2'I externally screwthreaded to receivean adjustable stop member, I28, adapted when the bell is raised to thelimit of its upward movement by. engagement with the bottle, to engagethe shoulder I29 on the tube H9 and raise the valve I2I off its seat. Itis therefore obvious that as the final gassing valve is lowered thegassing tube H9 will be projected into the neck of the bottle, stopping.just short of the liquid level, and at the same time the bottle bellwill be raised sufficiently to open the valve I2 I, admitting CO2 undervery low pressure to the neck of the bottle, and thereby forcing out anyair which might have collected in the neck, up through the bell andthrough the escape openings I26, and displacing this air with CO2.

After the final gassing, the bottles are engaged by transfer stars I30which remove the same from the final gassing apparatus and deliver thesame to the underlying stars I3I on the crowner 6. This crowner is awell known commercial structure, and it is not believed that a detaileddescription thereof is necessary except to say that the crowner ispreferably of the eight-head type for a filling machine deliveringbottles at the rate of per minute or more. The crowner head carryingmember I32 is provided with reciprocating crowning heads I33 which arerotated on the standard I34 carrying the stars I3I and descend upon thebottle, crowning and sealing the bottle. I mention the fact that Ipreferably use an eighthead crowner fora filling machine operating atthe rate of 120 bottles per minute, as I have discovered that it isadvisable and desirable to have the crowning head approach the bottle ata comparatively slow speed. If the crowning head drops upon the bottleat high speed,-the rapid descent of the crown has a tendency to force apercentage of air into the bottle, but I have found that where thecrowning head reciprocates at approximately only fifteen times perminute, as

.tles are delivered through the guide-way I36.

The initial gasser rotates in a clockwise direction and ultimatelydelivers the bottles to the sealer, the stars 53 of which are disposedbetween the initial gasser and the filling machine. This sealer rotatesin a counter-clockwise direction, the bottles being maintained in theirposition by a guide I31, and ultimately delivers the bottles to thesaddles 63 of the filler 4. The filler rotates in a clockwise direction,and the filling process takes place Where it is received from the stars53, until it is delivered upon a delivery disk I38, which rotates in aclockwise direction and tends to move the bottles through the guide-waysI39 into a position to be engaged by the stars I I3 of the final gasser5. The final gasser 5 rotates in a counterclockwise dlrection, and thebottles, after final gassing, are eventually picked off the final gasserby a transfer star I30, and delivers the same to the stars I3I of thecrowner 6, suitable guideways I being provided for the bottles. Afterthe crowning operation, it being noted that the crowner rotates in acounter-clockwise direction, the bottles are eventually picked off thecrowner by the delivery stars I42 and transferred to a suitable conveyoror other apparatus.

The spider 64 of the filling machine is driven through any suitablepower apparatus, as by an electricfmotor, or the like, and the remaining1 apparatus, including the gassers, the sealer and the crowner, areintergeared so that the parts of the various devices will operate inunison. I have shown a master'gear M3 on the spider 64 whichthroughsuitable intergears is adapted to drive gears onthe gassers,sealers and other parts. These are not illustrated, as it is believedthat it would tend toward confusion of the parts, while it isbelieved'that understanding of the operation can be obtained withoutillustrating these detailed parts.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a bottle filling machine, the combination with means for initiallyfilling the bottle with an inert gas to expel the air therefrom, ofmeans for fillingthe bottle nearly full with a beverage, means fortransferring the bottle from said initial filling means to said beveragefilling means, means for sealing the bottle during its transition bysaid transfer means from the initial gas filling means to the beveragefilling means, means for introducing a quantity of inert gas into thebottle above the beverage after it leaves the beverage filling means,means for transferring said bottle from the beverage filling means tosaid introducing means, means for applying a sealing crown to saidbottle and means for transferring the bottle from said introducing meansto said crown applying means.

2. In a bottle filling machine, the combination, f

of a continuously rotating means for initially filling the bottle withan. inert gas to expel the air therefrom, of a continuously rotatingmeans:

'bottle a quantity of beverfor delivering, into th' age sufficient tonear the same, continuously rotating means forv g alin the bottle duringits transition-from the man: gas filling means to the beveragedeliveringfmeans,continuously rotating means for introducing a quantityof inert gas into the bottle above the beverage after the bottle leavesthe beverage delivering means, and a continuously rotating means forapplying a 3831-.

ing crown to said bottle.

3. In a bottle filling machine, .the combination with means fordelivering a quantity of beverageinto a bottle to nearly fill the same,of means-for initially filling the bottle with an inert gas to expel theair therefrom prior to its delivery to the beverage delivery means,means-Tor transferring the bottle from saidinitial filling means tosaidbeverage delivering means, means for introducing a quantity of inert gasinto the bottle above the beverage after the bottle has left thebeverage inert gas above the contents of the bottle, and

means for transferring the bottle from said introducing means to saidsealing means.

'4. In a bottle filling machine, the combination with a continuously'rotating means for delivering 'tojthe bottle a sufiicient quantity ofliquid to nearly fill the same, of continuously rotating means forfilling the bottle with an inert gas to expel the air therefrom prior toits delivery to said "liquid delivery means, means for transferring thebottle from said filling means to said liquid delivery means,continuously rotating means for introducing a quantity of inert gas intothe bottle above the liquid after it leaves the liquid delivering means,means for transferring the bottle from the liquid delivering means tosaid introducing means, continuously rotating means for applying a.crown to said bottle after the final delivery of said gas, and means fortransferring the bottle y from said introducing means to said crownapplying means. v

5. 'In a bottle filling machine, the combination, with a continuouslyrotating means for delivering ously rotating means for initially fillingthe bottle with an inert gas to expel the air therefrom, and

a continuously rotating transferring means for transferring the bottlefrom said initial gassing '6. The method of filling bottles with beer,

which consists in delivering a sufficient quantity of inert gas througha single instrumentality to the bottom of the bottle at a pressurelow'enough i to flow the gas into the bottle without agitating the gasto fill the bottle, and maintaining a delivery of gas into the bottleduring the'with drawal of the instrumentality, sealing the bottle afterthe withdrawal of said instrumentality and transferring the bottle inits sealed condition to a beer filling machine, unsealing the bottle,flowing a supply of beer into said bottle through a .singleinstrumentality'to partially fill the bottle, withdrawing saidinstrumentality while maintaining a continued flow of gas under apressure sufiiciently low as not to agitate the beer into the bottleduring said withdrawal, flowing a supply of inert gas into said bottleto fill the bottle above the liquid with said gas and sealing thebottle.

JAMES KANTOR.

- to the bottle a quantity of beverage, of a continu-

